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Big Ten's Best: DBs of 2000-2010

By BTN.com staff -
3 years ago

No, there wasn’t a Heisman Trophy winner among Big Ten defensive backs during the 2000s, a la Michigan’s Charles Woodson the decade before. But the position was hardly light on talent. In fact, the 2000s saw a pair of conference stars win the Jim Thorpe award, handed out to the nation’s top defensive back, in Wisconsin’s Jamar Fletcher (2000) and Ohio State’s Malcolm Jenkins (2008). Watch a clip from Tuesday night’s show now and see the complete top 10 list in this post.

Mike Doss, OHIO STATE
– 2002 1st team AP All American
-Three-time All-Big Ten selection and a three-time All-America choice by the Sporting News
-Had 331 career tackles, eight interceptions, eight fumbles recovered, and six sacks
-Picked off a pass to help Ohio State win the 2002 BCS national title

Marlin Jackson, MICHIGAN
– 2004 1st team AP All American
-Tallied 195 career tackles, 147 solo, two sacks, 13 tackles for loss and nine interceptions
-34 passes defensed rank second-best in school history
-Set single game and single season pass break-up records (six, 18) in 2002

Bob Sanders, IOWA
-Recorded 348 career tackles to rank seventh on Iowa’s career tackle chart
-Led the nation in forced fumbles (six) and led the Big Ten in recovered fumbles (three) in 2003
-Tallied 25 tackles vs. Indiana in 2001, ranking as the fourth-best single game total at Iowa

Vontae Davis, ILLINOIS
-Registered 76 tackles, 4 INT and two blocked punts as a sophomore in 2007
-As a junior, tallied 78 tackles, forced three fumbles and picked off two passes on way to being a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist
-Recorded 13 tackles in the 2008 Rose Bowl against USC

Leon Hall, MICHIGAN
-Set school record for pass break ups (43)
-Tied for fourth in Michigan history for career interceptions (12)
-Set school record with an 83-yard fumble return against Northwestern in 2005

Tracy Porter, INDIANA
– 2007 1st team All Big Ten
-Finished career second in school history with 16 interceptions and first in interception yards (413)
-First player in school history to return a punt, interception and fumble for touchdown in his career.